And michael a



(No Model.) 3 Sheets Sheet. 1. J. W. FREE 85 M. A. BARBER.

MALT MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

L s N R x c m7. G ZA M N It a 5m El L w 0 Q MW I W lm F l/ I u m m u I w w v n H m w N D/ v1, K D \D m D D Fm -Pv U .D NW m If. m I! E E F.- rq E E E E [E Ez:\(cffict-Lccru-Lccccc-Lccccccc 5 .1 Q N N E I N M E M E E 0 NI zl//// W N. PETERS. Pmxn-Lmm m mr. Washingluu D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WVASHINGTON FREE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND MICHAEL A.

BARBER, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

MALT-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,137, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed February 4, 1889. Serial No. 298,634. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN \VASHINGTON FREE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, and IWIIGIIAEL A. BAR BER, of Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Malt-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in explaining its nature.

Figure 1 is a vertical section having the stirring-drum arranged longitudinally of the section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section transverse to the section of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus.

Many of the details of this apparatus are shown in the application now on file in the Patent Office, Serial No. 256,286, and as to them no claim is made in this application.

In the drawings, A is a vertical center post, at the top of which is placed the beveled gear-wheel B, which beveled gear-wheel is run by a beveled gear upon the main horizontal driving shaft C of the machine. Another beveled gear D is placed below the beveled gear B and revolves with it. These gears may, if desired, be loose upon the shaft A and supported by collars, or they may be tight on this shaft A and revolve with it, the shaft being set at its lower end in a step a. The latter is probably the best mechanical construction.

The aerating-wheel is shown in Fig. l at E in longitudinal section and at the same letter in Fig. 3 in transverse section. The traverse of this wheel is to the right of Fig. 3, and its rotation is from right to left. In order to support this wheel, a frame is made, F, which frame is provided with collars f f, which are journaled to the main shaft, and with a horizontal arm f which projects forward from these collars, and with a pendant f at its outer end to support the shaft of the stirring-wheel E. To this frame are attached at each end bearings f in which the shaft E is supported. This shaft E is run by the gear E, which is run itself by the gear D. At the outer end of this shaft E is a pinion E which meshes into a fixed circular rack E around the periphery of the machine.

The outer end of the frame F rests upon the carriage F, and the whole frame is steadied by a diagonal rod or brace, which extends from the horizontal arm f to the outer end of the frame F, which brace is lettered f The shaft of the stirring-wheel E is lettered E and both of the shafts E E carry upon their inner ends sprocket-wheels connected together with a drive-ehain, which drivechain is lettered E. Upon the shaft E of the stirring-wheel, at each end, are pivoted arms G, which arms are connected with an inclined scraper G. From about the center of the frame F, which carries the stirringwheel, is mounted an arm g, which has upon its 'end a hook g, and at about the center of the scraper is mounted a handle g At the same radial distance from the shaft E as the hook g there is placed upon this handle g a loop g which of course, when the scraper is lifted up, can readily be engaged with the hook g and suspend the scraper above the floor of the machine and above the malt that is lying upon the floor. Upon the two ends of the scraper G are shoes G which serve to support the scraper above the discharging-hole in the floor when that is opened. In the floor of the chamber in which this stirring-wheel traverses and rotates there is at one or more places, as may be desired, a hole H, for the closure of which atrap-door H is arranged, which trap-door is hinged at one edge and has provided to throw it back and forth a rock-shaft H to the oscillating arm of which rock-shaft is affixed a link h, which takes hold of the trap-door H and by the oscillation of the rock-shaft may throw it back and forth. This trap-door is arranged in connection with a primary hopper H and with a chute H The floor of this apparatus may,-if desired, be made of cement. If it is to be used for the sprouting of the malt, the malt will need only to be occasionally stirred, and it is better to have the floor of cement than to have it perforated. By this arrangement, in which the frame for the stirring-Wheel is arranged with two main bearings upon the shaft A, with a long horizontal arm f near the top, and with the brace f from that to the outer end of the frame, and with the shaft which receives and transmits the power at the top of the frame and above the shaft of the stirring-Wheel, and in which the said shaft E is run by sprocket-Wheels and chains, there is great steadiness and certainty, with less liability of twisting, Warping, or breaking than in the arrangement shown in the apparatus described in the application Serial No. 256,286, filed November 28, 1887, Where the shaft of the stirring-wheel is run directly from the main shaft, and, in addition to that, the outer wall of the apparatus may be a little higher and a greater depth of malt carried on the floor and operated upon than in the apparatus described in said other application.

The method of working the rock-shaft H is shown in Fig-,1. It is by means of awormwheel H and a Worm H. Any other suitable actuating device may, however, be employed.

Having thus described the invention, What we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Pat-.

In combination with a frame F, adapted to be rotated horizontally around a central axis located at one end of said frame, a pair of shafts E E carried bysaid frame, one of said shafts, E, being higher than the other, stirrers on shaft 6, a sprocket-gearing connecting the two shafts and causing the same to move harmoniously, a central driving-gear upon the central shaft A, a fixed rack E arranged in are about the axis of rotation of the frame above the shaft E, and an exterior gear E on shaft E, engagingsaid rack, substantially as described.

JOHN \VASHINGTON FREE. MICHAEL A. BARBER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. JENNINGS, J12, G. EVERETT HALL. 

